The present invention generally relates to the processing of video and graphics data, and more particularly to a method and apparatus accessing and using graphics data.
The processing of video and graphics data in multimedia systems is known. Graphics data is generally associated with computer systems, and is used to generate images displayed on computer monitors. For example, graphics data can include commands specifying specific shapes or textures can be processed for display. In a typical graphics system, graphics data is provided in a RGB format. Graphics scalers are used to manipulate the viewed size of a graphics image.
Video data is generally associated with the generation of television images. Protocols for video data include both analog and digital signals. Many standard and proprietary methods for accessing video data are known. The manner in which video data is accessed affects subsequent processing of video data. For example, more efficient processing may be obtained based by accessing data that has been stored in a certain format. However, such gained efficiencies in processing are often accomplished at the cost of increasing the hardware size and design time of the video backend display engine. Once the video backend display engine has accessed the video data, the data is processed and output for display at a display device. For video data to be accessed by a graphics engine has required the graphics engine to include hardware capable of reading the video data, thereby increasing the size of the graphics engine.
Therefore, an apparatus and method capable of efficiently accessing and using video and graphics data would be useful.